Brands called by different names outside U.S.

It's been 20 years since audiences of "Pulp Fiction" first heard Vincent Vega opine that the funniest thing about Europe is the little differences, with his examples from Paris, where a McDonald's Quarter Pounder is called a "Royale with Cheese." But despite globalization's guarantee of a McDonald's in just about any country in the world, some of those international differences still remain today.

It happens for reasons ranging from the brand's original name being already trademarked in the new country, to the original name not making sense in the new country's language, to issues with the brand's ownership.

What follows are examples of products and brands one might encounter abroad that appear just like something from back home but are called something else.

—By Colleen Kane, Special to CNBC.com
Posted 27 Sept. 2014

Also known as: Hungry Jack's (Australia)

In Australia, Burger King franchises operate under the name Hungry Jack's. It's been this way since 1971, when the first Hungry Jack's opened in a suburb of Perth. At that time, the Burger King name was already a registered trademark of a small takeaway shop in Adelaide.

Attempts by Burger King to buy the local trademark were unsuccessful, so they opted for the name Hungry Jack's, which was the name of a trademarked pancake mix owned in Australia by Pillsbury, which at the time owned the Burger King chain. Franchise owner Jack Cowin's decision may also have been swayed by the brand containing his name.

After the rights to the Burger King name were acquired in the 1980s, the first Burger Kings—really, rebranded Hungry Jack's—appeared in Australia in the 1990s. However, it was ultimately decided that to avoid diluting the brand recognition, the chain would continue under one name—the one that had three decades of history in the country.

In 2003, the 81 Australian Burger Kings switched over to Hungry Jack's.

Also known as: Bulmers Irish Cider (Ireland)

Here is an example of a name change attributable to a brand's ownership.

The Irish hard cider that arrived on American shores in 1999 is called Magners. Back in its homeland of Ireland, you would order it at the pub as Bulmers. However, it is made by C & C Group, and is no longer owned by H.P. Bulmer, which is an English cider maker founded in 1887 by Henry Percival Bulmer.

H.P. Bulmer makes its own distinct hard cider called Bulmers, available worldwide, as well as Strongbow and Woodpecker ciders, which are sold in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Also known as: Kraft Dinner (Canada), Cheesey Pasta, Macaroni Cheese (U.K.)

In the U.S. and Australia, the iconic yellow pasta meal in the blue box is called Kraft Macaroni & Cheese or Kraft Mac & Cheese, but in the U.K., it is Macaroni Cheese or Cheesey Pasta. In Canada—where Kraft Dinner is so popular, it's been called the de facto national dish—it is fondly referred to as "KD."

The name is not the only difference. The Canadian and U.S. versions contain tartrazine, or yellow #5 and #6, which are banned in countries such as Norway and Austria and are being phased out in the U.K. due to concern they may be linked to hyperactivity in children. As such, Macaroni Cheese and Cheesey Pasta use natural coloring alternatives like paprika.

In response to the petition sponsored by a food blogger, and the resulting media attention, Kraft agreed to remove the coloring ingredients from three of its products with pasta shapes aimed at children, but did not alter its original Mac & Cheese products.

Also known as: Delissio (Canada)

It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno—unless you're in Canada.

Since 1995, the rising-crust, frozen pizzas known as DiGiorno have been a presence in U.S. grocery freezer aisles. In 1999, they appeared in Canada as Delissio. But that wasn't the first time Delissio pizzas were sold by then-owner Kraft in Canada. The company first trademarked "Delissio" for use as a pizza brand in 1988.

In 2010, Kraft sold the brand to Nestle.

Also known as: Flash (UK, Ireland); Mr. Proper (Netherlands, Eastern Europe, Middle East); plus others

The bald, earring-sporting strong man we know as Mr. Clean goes by many names.

The name Procter & Gamble's product takes internationally is generally a matter of straight translation into the local language: Don Limpio in Spain, Maestro Limpio in Mexico and Puerto Rico, Mastro Lindo in Italy and Malta, Meister Proper in Germany, Meneer Proper in Flanders and Belgium, Pan Proper in Poland, Mr. Proper in the Netherlands, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, Monsieur Net in French Canada and Quebec, Monsieur Propre in Belgium and France, and Мистер Мускул in Russia.

However, in the U.K. and Ireland, since a Mr. Clean already existed there, the product is called Flash, and goes without a mascot.

Also known as: Lynx (U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, People's Republic of China)

The force of young-man scent was first unleashed by Unilever in France in 1983, then spread throughout Europe and Latin America, arriving on American shores in 2002.

Axe sprays, gels, deodorants and shampoos are now sold in more than 90 countries, however, trademark issues with "Axe" necessitated the coining and use of "Lynx" in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and China.

Also known as: T.K. Maxx (Europe)

In America, discount fashion retailer T.J. Maxx, founded in 1977, is the flagship chain in the TJX family of off-price stores including Marshalls, Home Goods, and Sierra Trading Post.

When T.J. Maxx launched in 1994 in England and Ireland, the chain took the name T.K. Maxx to avoid confusion with the British discount furniture chain TJ Hughes. The name T.K. Maxx was then used for additional stores in Germany and Poland.

Also, the European and Canadian equivalent of TJX's American HomeGoods home fashions discount chain is called HomeSense.

Also known as: Oil of Olaz (German-speaking regions, Italy); Olaz (Netherlands, Belgium)

The pink beauty fluid began in South Africa in 1952 as Oil of Olay. By the late 1990s, Oil of Olay was sold as Oil of Ulay in the U.K., Oil of Ulan in Australia, and Oil of Olaz in other European countries. But while it still goes by several names, the modern Olay product line is more unified than it was in the past.

In 2012, The Guardian reported it was being sold in 80 countries under the name Olay, in addition to the Olaz variants specified above.

Also known as: Toyota Kluger

In Australia and Japan, the name "Highlander" was already taken by Hyundai for one of the trim options for its Terracan SUV. So when Toyota brought its Highlander midsize-crossover SUV to those countries, it took on the name "Kluger." The name was based on the German word klüger, meaning clever or wise.

There are many other examples of autos that have different names at home and abroad. For one, the Acura TSX sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, also went by Honda Accord Euro, and in China was called the Dongfeng Honda SPIRIOR.

Also known as: Raider (Europe)

The chocolate-and-caramel coated cookie bars that come in the twin pack known as Twix in the U.S. and U.K. were called Raider bars in Germany and other parts of Europe.

Beginning in 1991, all the bars were marketed as Twix for consistency. However, in 2013, to mark the candy's 30th anniversary, Mars Germany switched the name back to Raider for a limited time.

Speaking of Mars and its candy names, the candy bar known as 3 Musketeers in the U.S. is more like the bar called Milky Way in the U.K., and the bar called Milky Way in the U.S. is akin to the Mars Bar of other countries.